Shyam Narain Pandey vs State Of U.P

The Supreme Court addressed the scope of stay of conviction under Section 389(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, emphasizing that unless exceptional circumstances exist, appellate courts should not stay a conviction, even if the sentence may be suspended. The appellant, convicted under Sections 147, 148, 302/144 IPC read with Section 120B IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment, sought to stay his conviction to avoid job loss. The Court held that the declaration of guilt must stand unless compelling reasons are presented, reinforcing the need for public confidence in the judiciary.